Industry Awards

Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union, Aberdeen, Md., was honored Don W. Lewis as 2012 Outstanding Business Philanthropist at the sixth annual Harford County Celebration of Philanthropy. Presented by the Maryland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and recognized by Harford County Executive David R. Craig and Maryland Delegate H. Wayne Norman, Jr., APGFCU’s President/CEO Don W. Lewis accepted the Outstanding Business Philanthropist Award at the ceremony. The Outstanding Business Philanthropist Award recognizes the contribution of money, along with time and skill, to promote the well-being of others and the betterment of the community. Each year, AFP-Maryland honors community agents of philanthropy at its National Philanthropy Day celebration. Award recipients are nominated and selected by a committee consisting of AFP-Maryland Harford County members and presented to businesses, individuals or families that have demonstrated outstanding civic and charitable responsibility and philanthropic leadership in and around Harford County, Md., and whose example encourages others to take philanthropic leadership roles. More than 50 nonprofit organizations are supported annually by APGFCU with time, talent and treasure, including the Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, Harford Family House, Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County, Meals on Wheels and SARC.

Citadel Federal Credit Union, Exton, Pa., announce that Kevin McDermott received top honors at CUSO Financial Services’ annual conference. McDermott, one of Citadel’s CFS Investment Services representatives, received the Advisor and the Pacesetter of the Year awards. The awards honor the top producing advisor among all of CUSO Financial Services LP 150-plus member programs. McDermott, who has been with Citadel for over 20 years, was credited with providing high quality financial and retirement planning services to Citadel customers. McDermott has received several awards in the past, but this is the first time he, or anyone, received both the Advisor and the Pacesetter of the Year awards in the same year.

First Florida Credit Union, Jacksonville, Fla., was recognized by the League of Southeastern Credit Unions for leadership in providing financial education to youth groups. LSCU presented First Florida with the state-level CUNA 2012 Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award for assets category $150 million to $500 million. The Desjardins award was established as a way of identifying model credit union efforts in teaching personal finance concepts and skills to members and nonmembers under age 18.

Freedom Credit Union, Warminster, Pa., presented Cassandra Ruffin the Marcus A. Foster Award for Outstanding Administrative Leadership at the 28th annual Celebration of Excellence in Education ceremony. Funded and presented by Freedom Credit Union, the award is given to a school district administrator for noteworthy contributions in curriculum, instruction, school improvement, or administration. Ruffin was presented this year’s award, along with a $2,500 stipend.

Keesler Federal Credit Union, Biloxi, Miss., has been honored with a community service leadership award. The credit union received first place in the state in the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award, which recognizes a credit union for its community involvement in an activity that helps other people or strengthens the structure of their community. The award was sponsored by the Mississippi Credit Union Association and CUNA. Keesler Federal Credit Union was also honored as one of only 12 credit unions in Mississippi that earned an Advocacy Award, which recognizes credit unions for extraordinary advocacy efforts on behalf of credit unions.

Mountain America Credit Union, West Jordan, Utah, has been honored with two excellence awards from the CUNA HR/TD Council, which recognizes outstanding human resource/training and development achievements in the credit union industry. Mountain America won in the Council’s Employee Engagement category for its 8 Pillars Personal Finance program, which fosters employee’s confidence in their ability to handle personal financial matters. Mountain America also won the HR/TD Management Practices award for its Online Branch Member Training Tutorials, which provide training for members and employees concerning the credit union’s new online banking system. These tools are a resource for employees as they teach new and existing members about the online branch.

SACU, San Antonio, and KENS5 celebrated the 13th year of honoring excellence in public schools through its award winning ExCEL Award program by hosting a banquet for the 19 teachers honored during the 2011-2012 school year. Winners from the 19 area districts, their guests, principals and superintendents joined SACU and KENS leaders at a banquet. Since 1999, the organizations have recognized 247 teachers named as outstanding in their districts with a trophy and a check. Approximately every two weeks, SACU and KENS recognized an educator from one of the public school districts with a Golden Apple trophy, a cash award for $1,000 and featured airtime on Eyewitness Attending the Long Island Head Start Gala were, from left, Rev. Allan Robinson, LIHS board member; Debrah Garcia, LIHS CEO/executive director; Community Partner Honoree Robert G. Allen, TFCU president/CEO; and Terrence D. Goode, LIHS board chair.

Teachers Federal Credit Union, Hauppauge, N.Y., announced that President/CEO Robert G. Allen was named a community partner honoree at the 2012 Long Island Head Start Gala and 46th anniversary celebration. Long Island Head Start is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the cause of helping at-risk children and families in Suffolk County. Alumni, organizations and supporters honored at the gala. The 2012 honorees are supporters of Long Island Head Start’s mission to raise social consciousness and have demonstrated their willingness to engage, empower and educate local citizens.

United Federal Credit Union, St. Joseph, Mich., announced that its investment services group, available through CUSO Financial Services LP, was a recent recipient of CFS’ 2011 Breakthrough Award. The award recognizes the significant growth of a credit union’s investment and insurance program revenues throughout the year. United Federal Credit Union was able to strengthen its program and generate additional revenue by delivering financial and retirement planning services to the credit union member base.

Workers’ Credit Union, Fitchburg, Mass., was recognized by NACUSO for its use of credit union service organizations by awarding it the 2012 CUSO Collaboration and Innovation Award. Workers’ Credit Union, founded in 1914, has assets of $875 million and serves 69,000 members.